Trump Spends Weekend At Bedminster Golf Club In Wake Of Comey Testimony
BEDMINSTER, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- After a busy week in Washington, President Trump is spending the weekend at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.
As WCBS 880's Mike Smeltz reports, this is the president's second weekend he's spending at Trump National in Bedminster since he took office. The president has previously said that he's deciding to stay in New Jersey instead of Trump Tower in New York City because he wants to save taxpayers money.
The security costs for protecting the president are roughly seven times more expensive in the city than in Bedminster, Smeltz reported.
On Friday, he said he would be willing to testify under oath to refute the Thursday testimony of fired FBI Director James Comey. He arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport shortly after a Friday afternoon news conference where he hit back at the former director.
"No collusion, no obstruction, he's a leaker," Trump said Friday.
Trump On Comey Testimony: 'No Collusion, No Obstruction, He's A Leaker'
James Comey testified under oath Thursday about his meetings with the president. In one of the meetings, Comey claims Trump tried to get him to drop the FBI investigation into fired national security adviser Michael Flynn.
On Friday, the president denied those allegations.
Reporter: "He did say under oath you told him -- you said you hoped the Flynn investigation he could let go."
Trump: "I didn't say that."
Reporter: "So he lied about that?"
Trump: "Well, I didn't say that. I mean I will tell you, I didn't say that."
Additionally, he denied Comey's claim that he asked the former FBI director for loyalty.
"I hardly know the man," Trump said. "I'm not going to say, 'I want you to pledge allegiance?' Who would do that?"
Trump said he would be "100 percent'' willing to give his version of the events under oath and said Comey "confirmed a lot of what I said and some of the things that he said just weren't true."
Feds Expected To Reimburse Security Costs When Trump Visits His Bedminster Club
The president has hinted he may have tapes of their meetings but refused to say for sure, or when he would release them.
"I'm not hinting at anything, I'll tell you about it over a very short period of time," Trump said.
Also not hinting, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D - N.Y.), who spoke about the president in colorful terms at New York University Friday.
"Has he kept any of his promises? No. (Expletive) no," she said to the Personal Democracy Forum at NYU, dropping the f-word twice while addressing young Democrats.
A spokesman for the senator defender her, saying "she's entirely comfortable being who she is."
Meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee gave both Comey and the White House two weeks to turn over any memos or recordings they have of their meetings.
Overall, the weekend trip is Trump's 17th weekend away from Washington during his presidency -- with most of those trips going to and from his sprawling Mar-a-Lago estate, Smeltz reported.
On Sunday, the president will hold a fundraiser at his Bedminster golf course for New Jersey Republican Congressman Tom MacArthur, who was critical in pushing through the president's healthcare plan in the House.
